Unlike the consensus, I feel that similar to a washing machine on a spin cycle, the story went full circle. I personally enjoyed it but can also concur with those who don’t for certain specific items. HOWEVER there’s an important breakdown that I believe paints a different light onto season 2 and why I enjoyed the story progression and symbolism even more. Misses some of that first season charm but maintains that flavor that makes you smile and feel your feelings throughout. Here’s my analysis:

At first the first couple of episodes gave that slice-of-life the first season was flavored with like with birthday gifts, and so on, however it also included older issues like “minato-San doesn’t say he loves me back”, which is like they erased the end of s2. Did the plot reset? I worried. But I let that go because Shin wants that consistent reminder that his feelings are received and reciprocated, especially given he is young, and his feelings are very strong and acute for him.

Then the plot falls into what I actually think is the best natural progression of the story where Minato is letting Shin into his personal and emotional space. Keep in mind Shin is coming on strong in season 1, but while he lets up a little with his forceful attitude, he is still just a persistent. That is 100% needed luckily to deal with Minato extreme shyness.

But let’s break it down before you judge too harshy:
Minato/Akira in season 1 was rejecting and beating himself up for his unrequited past love and the rejection his potential new feelings for the Shin-force-of-nature that overpowered his life. The sudden persistence and comfort and consideration, paired with Minato’s acceptance and facing his first love that didn’t love him back really made him forgive himself and find closure. Keep in mind that looking at Shin is like looking at his younger self in love with his teacher. And if Shin never told Minato his feelings and lacked the courage he did, he could have been Minato. Basically Minato and Shin are made to be inverses of each other—where one has courage and boldness, the other has shyness and fear. Luckily Shin finally made him begin to find peace and acceptance of himself. Minato then fully accepted his feelings for shin at the end of season 1.

While I feel they didn’t acknowledge that, it felt kinda real that he wouldn’t be 100% completely unguarded. That’s why the goals of cohabitation, getting a key, and an every day bond with Shin is such a step up for akira. He jumps into difficult mode, because let’s face it, he’s been emotionally crippling himself, even going so far as to leave his hometown behind, date his ex despite not being into the relationship and hung up on his first love, and passing out from overwork/horrible job to avoid the hometown that broke him. We are annoyed and want Minato to let it all go, because honestly the, being cute and lovey-dovey would be so cute just to watch Shin be elated, and it can become repetitive. So I kinda understand being that despite being in a relationship, he still is pushed into his old habits of self-doubt and tsundere quality.

Don’t forget, he has never really ever been in a real relationship he’s into, and kinda stunted himself and received a whole lot of trauma for it (love, his job, his environment, his health all detiorated becaus if his strong emotions. Can we blame him? He admits his feelings but he’s still on dating phase 1 while the plot and shin are up to phase 3. The plot or the character should have matched to that pace so it left some repetition, but you can tell he is changing and learning ti express himself more. His constant (and sometimes funny, sometimes charming, sometimes annoying) rejection of opening up to Shin fully is part of his fear to fully allow himself to feel like to will all work out, and maybe forever. Didn’t work out that well last time. However the plot didn’t mention this, which they should have.

Minato chronically tears himself down in the past before anything begins, so why should he be completely changed 100% now? Would that make sense? While they did use this tsundere shy trope over and over again, Minato:
- Tries to change his appearance for Shin
- Gave him access to his space
- Allows him into his home
- Admits he would be lonely without him and wants him to stay
- Gave Shin his keys
- Got jealous over him and wanted Shin to rely on him
- Holds his hand an lot
- Invites him on a date (festival)
- Tries to lower his defense with alcohol at the hot spring
- Expressed his feelings for baby steps for intimacy (wants Shin to call him Akira)

Compared to Minato, Shin didn’t go through much development by miles, but he’s still kinda great the way he is, I still can’t get over him stirring his rice and letting out his inner thoughts while looking at minato bed head. We do get to learn more about him with his past and how he is at his college, and his respect for his teacher, and he does learn that minato expresses his love in an unusual, but often subtle way.

All this being said, while I groaned at the amnesia trope, my least favorite trope of all time, the turnout was interesting. I think they could have achieved all of it a different way, perhaps with like a study abroad or his internship taking up a lot of Shin’s time, or a near death experience causing Minato to realize that he needs to challenge himself to open up. Could have done without the whole “don’t tell him”, “let’s just be friends” junk but I understand some elements of what they were Trying to achieve, though I believe they could have done it differently. Created some unnecessary drama. In some ways season 2 had development but also a sense of amnsesia, forgetting some proceed of season 1. The amnesia trope however did allow Minato to reflect and go over all his past memories with Shin, and this time try to make romantic make overtures, express his feelings, and realize that he didn’t know what he had until it was gone.

Would have loved to see Minato do more to romance Shun instead of try to get his memory back, but Shin is normally in the offensive and Minato has got no rizz at all except for his signature endearingly clumsy and awkward gestures of affection. This is where the plot goes full circle and begins to revisit season 1 to show with a ruler how far Minato feelings have come. I was hoping they would have gone somewhere but the ocean, but again it’s going full circle. Literally “Wash my Heart” (the alt. series title). Minato then realizes that he doesn’t need the past Shin that was the catalyst that changed him for the better, but the person he is with or without the amnesia. He realizes his feelings are strong enough and while he isn’t perfect, he is pushing his old self away more and more to let another person be with him forever. The letter was also a nice touch to mirror the first seasons last episode.

Now I would love to have seen some more lovey-doves scenes after this, maybe a special episode where minato is in the romantic offensive ie trying to make up for time lost when Shin lost its memory. That is my big qualm with the ending, but they fall back into slice of life, the amnesia trope kinda forgotten, but this time Minato kisses Shin, so it shows their everyday life may have progressed. I would just like to have an episode of Minato being romantic and Shin just continuously shocked and wondering what is up while ofc going along with it all with that pure joy he is best at.

As for the side characters, many people say Asuka carried the show, and he did a great job, but they are also at their starting stage aka cute adorable love phase 1 and I can’t forget how painful it was to watch Shu in season 1, like I would have liked to just seen this seasons development for them from the get go. It is a unique plot, because Shu is kinda asexual-type of awkwardly expressionless stereotype that I see in more and more dramas as a side character. I truly enjoyed seeing him squirm at his feelings and asuka was like the cutest accepting human. I would like to have seen more of the two couples relationship tied to each other in theme a little more since they seemed like they were two different plots at times if not for the characters interactions with each other. Still they all kind of went full circle like the washing cycle, like an ocean wave rising and falling and rising again, starting anew and finding happiness in a seaside town where old loves change and new love begins to take their place.

Overall I enjoyed the story and progression and would have enjoyed more if there was some fixes (outlined above), the music was great (not as much a fan of the bathhouse music for some reason), the filming was incredible as always. Asuka and Shin carried the show with their nuanced acting, Minato had some good range but still played up on the tsundere humor trope Japan loves, and saw more development with the actor than in season 1, Shu’s actor played his character expressionless but really had some good awkward nuances despite the only mid cheek kiss scene. I would rewatch again and I have a hard time imagining season 2 bc they tied up a lot of the story, however would recommend they make a special episode or so for the holidays or just showing them both being cute and romantic. While season 2 didn’t have the same charm as season 1, it still holds the same flavor! Hope to visit Minato Shouji Coin Laundry again soon for all my watching needs 💜